Friday, January 20, 2012

Winston-Salem Journal LTE FR 01/20/12

Moral high ground

According to the Bible, Pontius Pilate claimed the moral high ground and washed his hands of any blame for the persecution of Christ. Given that famous precedent, is there any wonder that the president of the United States, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are claiming the moral high ground for themselves and preparing to throw four young combat Marines under the bus ("Video called 'deplorable,' " Jan. 13)?

Marines may take justified pride in having each other's back, but they had better learn not look to their commanders to do the same.

Semper Fi!

ROSS MECHAM

Winston-Salem

Boo Pitts

Why did the federal government spend the latter part of the 19th century enacting and enforcing laws against polygamy?

According to columnist Leonard Pitts ("A loud, vigorous 'Boo!' to Rick Santorum," Jan. 16), "there is not and never has been a large culture of people who felt biologically driven toward polygamous behavior."

So, if polygamy was not a problem, why enact laws against it, and why were Utah, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona required by the federal government to incorporate anti-polygamy provisions into their constitutions as a condition for admission to the Union?

Why does Pitts need to ignore the facts, and why does he resort to name-calling (bigot) in his bias against conservatism and Rick Santorum?

RALPH HOLLAND

Advance

Sum It Up

The Sum It Up question from Sunday was: Do you think the state legislature should approve in their session beginning in May $50,000 for each living victim of the North Carolina's forced sterilization program?

* * * * *

I think the N.C. state legislature should approve the $50,000 compensation for the living victims of our state's forced sterilization program. The N.C. General Assembly had no problem approving $25 million for a fishing pier in one of the more affluent communities in our state this past year, and these victims deserve some type of compensation for the horrible injustice they suffered.

SUZANNE CARROLL

* * * * *

Pandora's box will be opened!

DONALD R. CREWS

* * * * *

No. While what happened is so hurtful and emotionally damaging, there are better and more meaningful ways to apologize. Health care, a memorial, a program in every school that teaches our children what happened and instills in their minds the intrinsic value of every life. Let's get creative in our efforts to respect and honor those who were harmed, and to make sure it never happens again.

It would be one thing if the actual perpetrators could be prosecuted, but what this "compensation" suggestion does is further drain coffers that are running on borrowed fumes already (see any number of articles in the newspaper just last week). Money will not heal hearts — only forgiveness can do that.

RUTH MAGERS

* * * * *

Yes, considering the ignorance of the folks who imposed their foolish notion upon the victims, $50,000 is a minimum.

The writer of the letter "Sense in compensation" (Jan. 15) has excellent suggestions regarding how the awards should be administered.

KENNETH B. SCALF

* * * * *

Of course! We found the money somewhere to sterilize them, we must now find the money to at least say we're (the state is) sorry.

KAM BENFIELD

* * * * *

The idea of payment to the sterilization victims, like the discussions of reparations for slavery, is a knee-jerk reaction to something that, while reprehensible in today's society, was legal when done.

So the questions remains, what is to be done and by whom? Having the state pay this out of revenues means that people who were not even alive and/or living in North Carolina will be paying this with no say in the matter. It means innocent people are paying the fines of the "guilty."

Assuming the governor and legislature in power at that time won't be held financially accountable since they, too, may be deceased or are immune to litigation, then I suggest we allow the people of North Carolina be given the option to designate part of their 2011 taxes toward paying this. Take the money out of the government budget and do not raise taxes.

The government did this, and the government needs to pay the price and suffer the consequences.

KEN HOGLUND

* * * * *

As I see it, there is no amount of money that can compensate those affected for the terrible things that were done to them without their consent. Having said that, before we can make an intelligent statement on this subject, we need many answers.

CATHERINE W. PITTS

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Winston-Salem Journal LTE TH 01/19/12

Other 'selfs'

The Jan. 16 Journal featured an article on the front page by Michael Alison Chandler on self-esteem, "Empty praise said to make students less likely to excel." After reading this article, I said a big "thank you." For years, I have worried that parents and teachers were so focused on self-esteem that a number of other "selfs" were being neglected. I hope that parents and teachers will read this article and remember that there are many other "selfs." Some of them are self-respect, self-responsibility, self-control, self-reliance and self-motivation.

I believe that by focusing on some of these "selfs," we will be able to create an environment for our children that will encourage them and teach them how to become more productive students and citizens. I believe that we can lessen the impact of the current environment that tends to foster unrealistic expectations and create one in which children will understand that an occasional failure is part of life. They will learn how to cope with it, learn from it and move on. They will have the opportunity to take genuine pride in their true accomplishments.

BARBARA WATKINS DAYE

Boone

Abuse of power

House Speaker Thom Tillis has admitted that he got legislation enacted as retaliation against teachers who oppose Republican cuts to education. This is an admission of blatant abuse of power. Government is not a tool for legislators to settle grudges or to punish legitimate dissent. Because we have rights, one of which is freedom of speech, his actions to suppress this right were also unconstitutional.

Another of Tillis' sneaky tricks is to hold midnight voting sessions. Their purpose is to keep any opposition in the dark and allow only the "right" people to vote, thus ensuring passage of the Republican agenda. It appears that Republicans believe their ideas cannot stand the light of day nor be subjected to free discussion. If this is the case, how good can these ideas really be?

Democracy is all about people coming together with many differing ideas, listening, discussing, then compromising to get the best for all the people. Apparently Tillis doesn't understand that.

What we have here is not democracy; it is political thuggery. North Carolina deserves better.

ELIZABETH L. SANER

Kernersville

Politics as usual

My, my. It seems as if columnist Chris Fitzsimon ("A confirmation, not a surprise," Jan. 14) wants us to believe the N.C. state legislature is possessed by demons, stating: "It's a radical, out-of-control crowd of ideologues who will do anything to ram their right-wing agenda through." He implies that "The unannounced special session, held at 12:45 in the morning with one Democrat in the hospital and two others absent for health reasons" was a horrible idea. (Personally, I'm glad to see the boys working so hard.)

I believe our past honorable governor, Mike Easley, did the same thing to pass the state lottery (one Republican was in the hospital, another on a honeymoon) by a slim margin; touché! This lottery, by the way, was to boost education, so don't blame the Republicans; blame the gamblers for money shortfalls.

As for all the other items mentioned, good or bad, we must have money to pay for them. The people sent a clear message in 2010 to stop the spending and live within our means. If we don't have the money, then we have to allocate our resources as best we can.

I can see that Fitzsimon (probably a Democrat) and I (an independent) probably won't agree on this, and that's OK. If we did, we'd both be wrong.

JAMES R. CRAWFORD

Rural Hall

Finish the Thought

Last Saturday we asked readers to complete:

"A president should only dump his vice president in favor of a new running mate if …"

* * * * *

"… it enhances his chances of being re-elected, which I surely hope it doesn't!"

FRANK SCISM

* * * * *

"… he feels strongly that due to negative public opinion of his vice president, his re-election chances would be substantially lessened. However, in the case of this president, his followers would re-elect him even if it was found that he was a Martian raised by immigrant parents from Venus."

RICK STEGALL

* * * * *

"… the decision is made only for strategic reasons — to make room for a promising presidential prospect in 2016."

BOON T. LEE

* * * * *

"… the vice-president is Joe Biden, Dick Cheney or Dan Quayle."

DAVID STOCKMEISTER

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Winston-Salem Journal LTE WE 01/18/12

The majority

The writer of the letter "A small percentage" (Jan. 9) is upset about bike lanes in Winston-Salem. "A small group of insiders are running an expensive program to fit their vision of what the city needs," he writes — as if that's a bad thing.

He adds: "They always come up with reasons that sound good on the surface, but never put it to a vote of the people." Of course, the people voted for the officials who make decisions about these programs. So, see? It's not that bad.

"In the process, they are creating inconvenience and expense for the majority of the people." But it's always a minority of people who get things done. The majority of the people are not creative. The majority of the people are not forward-thinking — they would rather save a penny today even if it means spending a dollar tomorrow. Most of all, the majority of the people are not engaged. Many don't even vote. Many only show up at city council meetings when something unusual and controversial is happening.

If he doesn't like the way things are done, perhaps the letter writer should run for office. Then hecould be part of the small percentage willing to make the important decisions — and take the heat for it.

ADAM SIZEMORE

Winston-Salem

Support the stadium

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County school board should grant final approval for the new Reynolds High School stadium, to be paid for by private funds. Give the boosters a deadline with which to come up with all or a portion of the funding required. Then, just as the private community responded to support the magnificent renovation of Reynolds Auditorium almost a decade ago, so too will they support the new stadium.

Contrary to some recent concerns that the stadium "will not represent all the people" ("Stadium foes fear traffic, parking, noise," Jan. 11), any time we invest in our school system, we strengthen the educational experience of all our young people, who will be the future leaders of our community and thus will represent all the people. Further, the project's inclusion of a replacement for the decrepit Wiley gym, also with private funds, speaks to the inclusive nature of this project to benefit those beyond Reynolds. And, the "Brunson argument" mixes apples and oranges and is irrelevant to the stadium decision. Yes, Brunson must be replaced, but to wedge another school in the proposed stadium space is not a viable option. Brunson must be handled as a separate issue, not an either/or related to the stadium.

We should not miss this opportunity for this partnership. It is fitting that the teams and students attending the most historic flagship high school in the county be able to have a home adjacent to their school, not five miles away.

BRIAN P. MYERS

Winston-Salem

Bicycle education

I grew up in the Netherlands and have lived in Winston-Salem since 1977. Without my bicycle I feel like a cowboy without his horse; however, I find it scary to ride on busy streets. I concur that education in traffic rules for cyclists and drivers is necessary.

In the Netherlands, drivers are tested on rules in regard to cyclists (e.g. you flunk if you forget to look over your right shoulder for a cyclist before making a right turn), and children learn traffic rules in elementary school. All the streets have sidewalks and separate paths for cyclists. Consequently, cycling is very popular, children walk or ride a bicycle to school, and adults ride their bike to work.

Our city is becoming more attractive and safer with sidewalks, greenways and bicycle paths. I applaud the city for employing Matthew Burczyk, an outstanding bicycle and pedestrian coordinator.

FIET (SOPHIA) W. ROTHBERGER-KRAAL

Winston-Salem

Conflicts of interest

This is in response to Monte Mitchell's lengthy story "Couple's ties to fund examined" (Jan. 15).

It is always awkward when conflicts of interest arise involving board members of nonprofit foundations. Ideally such situations would never occur, but, in the real world we live in, such issues do occasionally arise and must be resolved. That is why it is vitally important that nonprofits have in place in advance a robust and transparent policy that both protects the foundation and also informs board members what is expected of them in such situations.

In other words, conflicts are inevitable. The real question is how they are handled.

It is difficult for me to comprehend that a Golden LEAF board member could be criticized forcomplying with the foundation's strict conflicts policy.

Readers should know that:

Not one dime of Golden LEAF grant funds has ever been paid to me, my wife, or to our consulting firm.

The Golden LEAF and its board members are not currently subject to the N.C. State Ethics Act, as reported. However, as a member of the UNC School of the Arts Board of Trustees, I am personally subject to the act. I completed mandatory ethics training and have filed a comprehensive financial-disclosure statement with the N.C. Ethics Commission as required by the act.

Our work will continue in support of North Carolina's struggling rural communities.

MICHAEL A. ALMOND

MEMBER, GOLDEN LEAF BOARD

Piney Creek

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Winston-Salem Journal LTE TU 01/17/12

Everywhere a sign

I would like to congratulate City Hall for addressing the critical issue of open-air public meetings in such a timely fashion.

The public and passersby are now welcomed to City Hall by an ugly, intrusive sign declaringrestrictions on public involvement in our government rather than opportunity, justice, peace or civic duty. This will do much to foster relationships and develop trust among those groups who traditionally feel their voices are not welcomed at City Hall.

I am offended at this knee-jerk reaction that blemishes our beautiful landscaping and tarnishes the reputation of City Hall.

JIM TOOLE

Winston Salem

What a great job

I'm often slow to understand, so at first I didn't get it. All I thought was, wow, what a great job: You get to vote on your own salary.

Then I heard that members of Congress had a better medical plan than the rest of us: Wow, what a job. Lately I heard that our representatives didn't have to comply with laws against insider trading. Gosh, what a deal. (Is it true that, to become a politician, all I have to learn is to lie in a loud voice?)

Some of my friends say the Congress is corrupt, but that's cynical.

RICHARD MERLO

Elkin

No snow

It has been almost an entire month of winter without any snow. This has been really tough to deal with, especially for students. Everyone looks forward to that call you get in the morning saying that school has been canceled or that there is a 2-hour delay.

But not this year. With highs in the 60s for many days and nothing but rain, a winter wonderland is wishful thinking. No snowball fights or sledding down huge hills and acting like kids.

Although it's good not to worry about slippery roads and frozen locks on our cars, that's what winter is all about.

Even the mountains are having a hard season. My season pass to Sugar Mountain has yet to be scanned, nor have my new ski boots been used. It seems like it's not even winter.

In all my years living in Winston-Salem, basically all my life, I have never seen such a warm winter. All I want is a few extra hours to sleep in. Is this too much to ask?

STEPHANIE STEWART

Winston-Salem

Have a heart

According to the Jan. 14 story "Edwards said to be seriously ailing," "John Edwards has a serious heard condition that will require a medical procedure next month … "

For this to be possible, the man would actually have to have a heart.

SUE H. RAMSEY

Clemmons

Monday, January 16, 2012

Winston-Salem Journal LTE MO 01/16/12

Meeting King

My dad, Wallace Ray, started a small business here in the early 1960s. He was a red-headed white man and hired blacks at the same wage as his white employees, which was unheard of. When the white guys heard this, they were angry and threatened to quit because "we ain't gonna work here if [they] get the same pay as us."

My dad told them, "They work harder than you do, they might need a raise. So shut up and get back to work, or you are fired." I was there and was so very proud of Dad. It opened my eyes to the 1960s unrest.

The rest is history: equal pay, fair housing standards, the Civil Rights Act.

A few years later, I went to work for my dad for a while, and he was the same. His credo? If you do the job right, you get paid fair wages. If you don't, you're fired (including me).

Yes, he fired some blacks, but he also fired some whites. I will always remember, however: He paid fair wages, not only to blacks, but to anyone he hired, including women, before "equal pay" became law.

I truly hope that Martin Luther King Jr. has met my red-headed dad somewhere and they shook hands. Martin says, "Thanks, brother," and my dad says, "No problem, brother."

PATRICIA STOCKMEISTER

Winston-Salem

Paying attention

Jay Ambrose's column "The recess appointment of Richard Cordray" (Jan. 10) is a true cautionary tale if anybody is paying attention. It highlights President Obama's philosophy of more and bigger government and his practice of ignoring the Constitution if it gets in his way.

Richard Cordray's appointment to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was made while Congress was in session, but Obama deemed it a "recess appointment." He knew the ultra-liberal former attorney general of Ohio would never get congressional approval. Now Cordray and his agency have sweeping regulatory powers and answer to no one.

Nothing about the balance of powers outlined in the Constitution is of interest to a tyrant like our current president. His heavy-handed regulation and staggering debt-accrual policies are suffocating our country. Voters, please pay attention. We cannot afford four more years of this left-wing leadership.

MARY LOU WILSON

Winston-Salem

News about sports

The writer of the letter "Informed opinions" (Jan. 9) lobbies for her favorite columnists, Thomas Friedman and Paul Krugman. This is her right, but she shows no interest in other's rights for news about sports.

She mentions an extra section, and since she didn't name it, I assume she meant Sportsxtra. This extra is about the youth athletes of our city and county. These youth are possibly some of our next generation's leaders. The Journal and the editor of Sportsxtra, Marc Pruitt, are to be commended for giving special attention to our high-school student athletes.

STUART DIXON ROBERTS SR.

Winston-Salem

Post-truth

Paul Krugman's column "The post-truth campaign" (Dec. 28) evokes philosopher Charles Hartshorne, who left the University of Chicago because he could no longer find students interested in his work (metaphysics, modal proofs for God's existence). Asked why he undertook anything so daunting and, at the time, disparaged, Hartshorne's simple but profound answer: Anyone can take on the easy problems and their opponents' weakest arguments.

Statesmen demonstrate how obfuscation and dissembling in politics serve truth and good. Winston Churchill said, "The truth deserves a bodyguard of lies." Franklin D. Roosevelt put it, "I am a juggler, and I never let my right hand know what my left hand does." The outright mendacity of post-truth politics is about keeping political discourse fixated on peripheral issues and opponents' weakest arguments. That's precisely how corporate toadies fool most of the people most of the time.

Post-truth politics requires the illusion that liberals and conservatives disagree. For to honestly disagree, we first would have to be able to state the other's position so they would say, "You are correct, that is what I am saying."

Honest disagreement would mean neither liberals nor conservatives cherry-pick easy targets. Both would be inexorably confronted with powerful arguments against their essential beliefs. Both could, without hypocrisy, insist on our moral obligation to be intelligent.

The weaker the arguments we engage, the weaker the arguments we make. This is the very real price "conservatives" and "liberals" pay for the phony disagreements of post-truth politics: decades having learned nothing important.

ANDY G. MILLER

Kernersville

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Winston-Salem Journal LTE SU 01/15/12

Defending 'Lio'

Well, I thought my days of defending the "Lio" comic strip were over. Apparently not.

A letter writer in the Jan. 10 Journal ("Makes sense") urges you: "If you want to save money, why don't you delete Lio and some other equally stupid comic strips?" May I please defend "Lio" and other strips by saying to the writer: If you don't understand or get the humor in these strips, please let those who do continue to enjoy them. Thanks!

DENIS JACKSON

Pfafftown

Sense in compensation

I hope that the legislature will exercise some sense when it decides on the amount of money awarded to each person involved in the sterilization program that ceased in 1974 ("$50,000 urged for each victim," Jan. 11). A one-time cash payment is not the way to go.

It has been reported that citizens as young as 13 were involved, so the youngest survivors should be at least 50 years of age now. I would suggest that the payments authorized should be medical/health-care vouchers or some type of interest-bearing account that would give the survivors annual interest payments. If not, I imagine the Journal headlines shortly after payment will read, "Many recipients lose benefits to unscrupulous people."

These people suffered enough; let's protect what they receive.

TOM D. JONES

Winston-Salem

Serious consequences

Bullying should not be considered an acceptable childhood "rite of passage," and children do not simply "grow out of it." Bullying can have serious consequences, including suicide. The National Education Association estimates that 160,000 school children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students.

The following are a few signs that a child may be the victim of a bully: mood swings; avoiding eye contact with others; frequent complaints of feeling sick; not wanting to go to school or attend certain classes; talk of running away; threatening to hurt themselves or others.

If a child displays any of these warning signs, talk with the child. Mental Health America suggests making sure the child understands that being bullied is not his or her fault; children should know that they do not have to face the situation alone; parents can speak to principals at their children's schools to ensure their safety; they can seek counseling for their children, if appropriate.

The Mental Health Association in Forsyth County is a valuable community resource for parents seeking guidance on how to handle a bullying problem. The association will refer families to appropriate local mental-health providers.

Bullying is a serious emotional concern and we must help victimized children. Take time to help address this problem; you may save a life.

DAVID PATTERSON

MEMBER, MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION

IN FORSYTH COUNTY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Winston-Salem

Correspondent of the Week: Lauren Kent

Your precious vote

As the caucuses and primaries move to South Carolina, I am constantly reminded of my limited voting rights. As an older high-school junior, I will be eligible to vote in the next general election. However, at the age of 17, I can vote only for items in the primary that will be on the ballot in November as well.

The notion that turning 18 will suddenly illuminate my knowledge of politics is ridiculous. Every student in North Carolina has studied American history in eighth grade, civics in 10th grade, and even more advanced U.S. history in 11th grade. We have been told that voting is both our civic duty and a rite of passage that we are not privileged to have yet because of our supposed lack of understanding. Then every election year, concerned students sit by as we hear stories of uninformed citizens voting simply by party line, for arbitrary candidates, or not voting at all.

This year, I consider myself fortunate to have any say at all, especially when many of my friends have to wait years for another chance to vote because their birthdays will miss the election date by a few months. So please, those who have the right to vote should not take it for granted. They should feel an obligation to educate themselves on the candidates and issues, because although many students in our area have done our political homework, we never get to take the test.

LAUREN KENT

Winston-Salem

Sum It Up

Do you think the state legislature should approve in their session beginning in May $50,000 for each living victim of the North Carolina's forced sterilization program?

Respond to letters@wsjournal.com and put "Sum It Up" in the subject header. Only signed entries, please, no anonymous ones. Briefer responses receive preference in print.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Winston-Salem Journal LTE SA 01/14/12

Smoke-free air

Your Jan. 1 article "The effects of the smoking ban" was balanced and timely as we prepare to celebrate the second anniversary of North Carolina's smoke-free restaurant and bars law. I suspect there will always be a small number of people who continue to defend their right to smoke, but the majority of North Carolinians support the law and the right to breathe smoke-free air in public places.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about to weigh in on the impact of smoking bans, we should celebrate the increased attention to this issue. A recent addition to the mounting evidence that cigarette smoke kills, The North Carolina Smoke Free Restaurants and Bars Law and Emergency Department Admissions for Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI), revealed that visits to N.C. emergency rooms by residents declined 21 percent since the smoke-free law went into effect. Applying the 21 percent reduction rate to North Carolina's historical AMI statistics, the law helped lower AMI hospital discharges by over 4,000 a year, AMI deaths by over 1,500 a year, and probably lowered out-of-hospital cardiac deaths by over 2,500 a year.

The surgeon general has made it abundantly clear that there is no safe level of exposure to cigarette smoke, and our smoking ban is a responsible reaction to that. There are myriad health risks in our modern lives that we can do nothing about. This one we can, and we did. Yes, let us celebrate.

DR. DAVID GOFF

PRESIDENT OF THE MID-ATLANTIC AFFILIATE OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION

Winston-Salem

A positive situation

As a Reynolds High School graduate, current aunt of a student, and mother of future students, I have been excited to follow the possibility of an on-site stadium ("Stadium foes fear traffic, parking, noise," Jan. 11). What a great location and a positive situation for both Wiley Middle School and Reynolds.

I am concerned over some of the opposition. There are basketball games in Reynolds gymnasium, which hundreds attend already, and access to the main buildings through the tunnel. Is parking truly going to change drastically? I believe not. Also, many of those in opposition supported the baseball stadium, where much more noise and lights are involved. Yes, the stadium also has houses nearby. In other areas, citizens pay a premium to live where they can walk and attend high-school football games. Visit Hershey, Pa., to get a taste.

This will add to the downtown allure. The look of the park will be altered, but this is school land, and there is still plenty of room for Hanes Park. A stadium would mean an open environment, and the old eyesore gym would be gone. Press on, Kathryn Spanos!

CHERRYEL SCURRY

Winston-Salem

Opposition to bikes

I was surprised by the opposition to bicycle amenities expressed in the letter "A small percentage" (Jan. 9). That writer may be unaware of the benefits of active transportation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that Americans are becoming less fit — partly due to a lack of exercise. Bicycling and walking can replace driving for short errands and trips to school, resulting in healthier people and a better environment. The writer of "A small percentage" might improve his own health and the health of our environment by joining that "small percentage" who use our trails, greenways and bike lanes.

CHARLES E. WILSON

Winston-Salem

Leadership and compassion

Thank you, Journal, for your investigative series on the state's aggressive 45-year forced-sterilization program, for your admission of support for that cruel and shameful effort, and for your apology to the victims ("Help for sterilization victims past due," Jan. 6). The Journal's insistence on monetary compensation from the state to the fast-dwindling group of surviving victims is admirable. As you have written, an apology is not enough. North Carolina needs to show leadership and compassion by stepping up and doing the right thing.

It is very sobering to think that so many intelligent, well-meaning citizens thought that this program was a good idea, and that they thought so for more than four decades. I hope we have learned something from this horrendous experience, and that when we consider cutting programs that help those in need, we will remember what cost-cutting efforts by the state can lead to.

ANNE N. PAISLEY

Winston-Salem

Finish the Thought

Welcome to our new feature. Briefly complete the sentence below and send it to us atletters@wsjournal.com. We'll print some of the results in a few days. Only signed entries, please, no anonymous ones.

"A president should only dump his vice president in favor of a new running mate if ..."